Biden Expands Discount Internet Program for Low-income Households

President Joe Biden announced new commitments from 20 internet service providers to expand access for discounted, high-speed internet to tens of millions of Americans in low-income households. 

The new expansion comes under an existing federal program. 

Biden said from the White House Rose Garden that the program will change lives for Americans across the country who have struggled to get internet. 

Twenty providers have agreed to increase speeds or cut prices. People enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, known as ACP, will be offered high-speed internet plans for no more than $30 a month. 

The private sector’s new participation, in coordination with the ACP subsidy that covers up to $30 a month, means that the program will essentially be free to the low-income houses. 

Biden said that high-speed internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity. 

This means that 48 million households will now be eligible for the new plan. 

The $1 trillion infrastructure package was passed by Congress last year, and included $14.2 billion in funding the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Biden said that ensuring Americans everyone have access to internet is why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $65 billion to expand access. He said this is in order to make sure access to broadband internet was expanded across the nation, in the country, suburbs, urban, and rural — everywhere.

Biden also emphasized that the pandemic showed just how essential internet really is. 

So far, more than 11 million households have already signed up to receive the benefit. 

Participating companies include popular services AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum and Comcast. Several regional companies are also included. These together cover more than 80 percent of the nation’s population, which is about 40 percent of the households. 

Biden thanked the participating companies for working with the administration in order to provide what he said was a great example of what can be achieved when the private sector and federal government work together in order to solve big problems.